A/N: Thank you all so much for the continued reviews, follows, and favorites! They seriously brighten my day!
Beta: Krissy, thanks for being so much help!
Disclaimer: JKR owns the world and characters of Harry Potter, not me. I am not making any money from the posting of this story.
Chapter 25
Hermione opened her eyes and saw they were standing in what looked like an alleyway. She peered up at Lucius, a questioning look on her face.
"We're in Muggle Paris, Hermione. I couldn't have our Portkey land us right in the middle of the street." Lucius shook his head. He adjusted his tie, and smoothed out his clothes. "Come along, Hermione. We can check into our hotel now."
Hermione grinned, following him down the alleyway. When they reached the street, she looked around with wide eyes. "Where are we?"
"Outside our hotel, Le Royal Monceau-Raffles Paris. The Arc de Triomphe is right down the street."
Hermione looked down, trying to see if she could see the famous building. She couldn't, but she did spot a lot of shoppes and people. Hermione couldn't wait to sight-see.
Lucius laughed. "There's plenty of time for that later. Let's just go drop off our luggage." He took Hermione's hand and led her inside.
The two of them walked in, checked in, and then checked out their room. It was more luxurious than anything Hermione had ever seen before.
"Impressed?" Lucius asked, sitting down on the large king sized bed. He watched Hermione as she looked around the room with an awed expression on her face.
Hermione sent him a look. "Lucius, I really didn't expect anything less with you involved." It was true. Lucius was an aristocrat, and everything about him screamed money. Even his Muggle clothing looked top notch, and she was positive it was Gucci or Dormeuil.
He looked smug. "Well, nothing but the best for the Malfoy family."
Hermione shook her head at his words. "But come on, I want to go explore, Lucius." She bobbed up and down excitedly on the heels of her feet. There was so much for them to do, and she wanted to do it all.
The first thing the two of them did was go to the Arc de Triomphe. Hermione and Lucius laughed as they climbed the stairs, all 234 steps. By the time they got to the top, Hermione was a bit out of breath. As she walked to the edge of the viewing platform, she let out a gasp.
"What is it?" Lucius asked, resisting the urge to reach into his pocket and pull out his wand. "Hermione?"
She turned to him, a large smile on her face. "Look at the view! It's simply breathtaking."
Lucius went and stood by her side. He wrapped his arm around her, pulling her tight against his body. "It is a beautiful view."
They could see Paris, with its bustling streets and sidewalks. There were cars and people as far as the eye could see. The view really was spectacular. They could see the Eiffel Tower in the distance.
"This makes it worth climbing up all those stairs," Hermione said with a giggle. "Doesn't it?"
"I suppose," Lucius agreed. "I don't know why we just couldn't secretly Apparate up here."
Hermione gave him a stern look. "We discussed this, Lucius. We're doing Paris the Muggle way! It'll be fun, I just know it."
Lucius smiled. "Whatever you say, kitten."
The two of them stayed up there for a bit, trying to find buildings and places that the two of them knew.
Eventually, Hermione's stomach growled. She looked up at Lucius apologetically.
"Come, let's go find a place where we can get something for dinner." Lucius took her hand and together they walked down all the steps.
"It's easier to go down than up," Hermione said with a laugh. "Can we just stop at a small café or something? I'm not really feeling up to a big meal."
"That sounds perfectly fine," Lucius agreed. "My stomach is still unsettled from Portkeying such a large distance."
"Mine too," Hermione responded. They walked down the street, looking for a place to stop. They finally found one, and Hermione and Lucius sat at a table. They each ordered lemon water and sandwiches.
"This is delicious," Hermione said, halfway through eating.
Lucius smirked at her. "Just wait until we go out for a real meal. You'll see that France has quite the delectable menu."
She beamed at him. "Thank you again, Lucius."
"There's no need to thank me, Hermione," he responded, wiping his mouth with his napkin. He folded it and placed it beside his plate, before leaning forward towards her. "There's nothing I love more than seeing you with a smile on your face."
Hermione blushed, shifting in her seat. "Well, Lucius, you do a fine job of keeping me happy." She smiled at him. "I love you."
"And I love you," he responded. "What would you like to do once we're done?"
She pursed her lips, thinking for a moment. "I don't know," she answered honestly. "There's just so much to do."
"We could go for a riverboat ride along the Seine River?" he suggested.
Hermione's eyes lit up. "Lucius, that sounds perfect."
"Wonderful," Lucius said. "After dinner, we'll head to the Seine."
They two of them finished eating their sandwiches. Once they were done, Lucius paid the bill while Hermione waved down a cab. One came almost immediately and the two of them clambered into the small car.
The cab raced through the streets, weaving in and out of traffic. It was weird for Hermione, for the cab driver was driving on the wrong side of the road! She had forgotten that some countries drove on the right side. Glancing at Lucius, Hermione saw that he was turning a bit green. He grimaced at her.
Eventually, the cab squealed to a stop. Lucius quickly got out of the car while Hermione paid the driver. Once outside, she breathed in the fresh air.
"That was awful," Lucius spat, shaking his head. His face was starting to regain its usual colouring. "How do Muggles bear it?"
Hermione shrugged. "They must be used to it. Although, one of my Muggle neighbors growing up always got sick in the car, so I suppose not everyone likes it."
"Well, I never want to do it again," Lucius said.
"We can't Apparate everywhere, Lucius, we might get caught," Hermione responded logically. "We'll just cast a spell beforehand to stop you from getting nauseous."
Lucius nodded. "That may work."
"Great, now, where do we go for this boat ride?" Hermione asked, looking around. The sun was about ready to set.
"Down here," Lucius motioned. The two of them went down a set of stairs, which led them to the river's edge. There was an older man there, with his boat tethered next to him.
"Interested in a sunset ride?" he asked in English. It must have been obvious that they looked like tourists.
"Yes, please," Lucius said. He paid the man, glad that he had exchanged his money for Euros before leaving England.
"Well, all aboard," the man said, motioning to the small boat. "There's some wine and cheese for you to enjoy."
Lucius held Hermione's hand, helping her aboard. The two of them took a seat in the back of the boat. The driver took his spot in the front, putting up the divider between them.
"This is exciting," Hermione said softly, as the boat took off. Looking behind them, she saw that the sky was a mixture of pink and orange. "It's so beautiful."
"Wine?" Lucius asked, holding up the bottle. When Hermione nodded, he poured them each a glass. "Here," he said, handing her one.
She took a sip, savouring the taste. She took one of the cheese cubes and popped it in her mouth. It was very creamy. Picking one up, she grinned at Lucius. "Open up."
He obeyed, and she fed him the cheese. "Delicious," he purred, moving closer to her. He wrapped his arm around her.
The two of them enjoyed their boat ride, snuggling close to each other. They drank their wine and ate their cheese, while the sunset glowed around them.
Neither of them had ever been as content as they were in that moment.